(Honolulu) – If you launch a boat from one of O‘ahu’s small boat harbors you’ll see one. If you start hiking up one of the island’s popular trails you’re bound to see one. By the end of today, 25 large, conservation messaging signs will have been installed at various locations under the jurisdiction of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). Another five signs are portable and will be used for various outreach and education purposes.

“This project, supported with funds from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), extends the “DLNR & YOU” philosophy and brand, by encouraging all visitors and kama‘āina to work together to make sure the island stays a paradise,” according to DLNR Chair Suzanne Case.

The theme of each 4X3 foot sign is to “Mālama Hawai‘i.” Seven message boxes on each sign encourage care for coral reefs, Hawaiian culture, the ‘āina(land), wildlife, keiki (youth), and for yourself and your family. Each sign is topped by a large map of O‘ahu which depicts popular hiking, snorkeling, picnicking, scenic vistas, and camping spots. Icons also identify forest reserves and cultural sites, as well as the specific spot where a sign is installed. Signs are on properties under the jurisdiction of the DLNR divisions of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR), and State Parks.

George D. Szigeti, HTA President and CEO explained, “An important feature of these signs is a QRC (quick response code) icon on each sign that allows visitors from Japan, Korea, and China to read the signs in their native languages and understand the need to take care of the land. Additionally, the QRC includes translation into Hawaiian. A strategic goal of HTA is improving the integrity of the Hawaiian Islands and we are confident these signs will increase awareness among visitors of their responsibility to protect Hawai’i’s natural areas and areas on O‘ahu.”

Yesterday, as a team from sign contractor Conservation by Design Inc. was installing the sign at Pu‘u O Mahuka State Historic Site on the North Shore, California visitor Julie Neander stopped to read it. She remarked, “I think it’s a great sign that covers a lot of topics to let people know about all the important things they need to think about when they visit any site in Hawai‘i.”

In her work she helps create interpretive conservation signs and she feels the Mālama Hawai‘i signs hit the mark in educating people with a minimal number of words in a small space.